YOURSAY 'PRM members don't know the meaning of a negotiation - for them to negotiate to get something, they need to have something to offer.'

PRM to contest seats regardless of Pakatan

your sayONG: In the 2008 GE (general election), PRM's Koh Su Yong was a candidate for Selayang in a three-cornered contest between BN, PKR and PRM.

From the total voter turnout of 60,673, Koh Su Yong managed to obtain 1,332 votes, which works out to 2.2%.

Koh, who managed to get a miserly 2.2% of the votes the last time, now wants to negotiate with the incumbent party to take over the candidacy from the incumbent MP?

PRM must be a primary school political party whose members don't even know the meaning of a negotiation. For them to negotiate to get something, they need to have something meaningful to offer.

A derisory 1,332 out of 60,673 votes, or 2.2% of the total votes cast, has no negotiating value.

In the 2004 general election, the results for Selayang was Chan Kong Choy (BN) 36,343 votes and Koh Swe Yong (PKR) 13,117 votes.

For the 2008 GE, the same Koh Swe Yong (referred to as Koh Su Yong by PRM president Rohana Ariffin in this news report) left PKR and stood as the PRM candidate in the same constituency and managed to get 1,332 votes, down from 13,117 votes when he was the 2004 PKR candidate.

Now Rohana wants PKR to hand over the seat to Koh to contest? What kind of politicians have they got in PRM, I wonder.

Hidup Rakyats: PSM should ask for those seats that Pakatan Rakyat lost in 2008 election, not those which have been well taken care of by Pakatan MPs.

Contest those seats that Pakatan lost in 2008 and then you will be seen as noble and working for the betterment of the rakyat by kicking out the BN regime.

Hidup Rakyats: I would not belittle or even call PSM a mosquito party, even though they have only 500 party members throughout the country.

However, they must look at the bigger picture. With just 500 members, do they have sufficient funds and machinery to run in an election?

Pakatan has always worked hand in hand with PSM, for example, at the recent EO6 candlelight vigils. Lots of Pakatan MPs and leaders had voiced out in protest against their detention under the Emergency Ordinance.

Look at PSM leader Dr Nasir Hashim who, as state assemblyperson for Kota Damansara, is always working hand in hand with R Sivarasa, the PKR MP of Subang.

So why is this threat from PRM on contesting three safe opposition seats?

Ipoh2: Dalam 222 kerusi parlimen dan lebih daripada 500 kerusi DUN, semuanya ditanding oleh parti-parti dalam Pakatan Rakyat. Bagaimana parti lain dan kumpulan lain yang pro-pembangkang?

Tidak jadikan satu alasan bahawa parti-parti dan kumpulan itu tidak dalam Pakatan, maka mereka di nafikan hak untuk bertanding dan di label pengacau. Ingat, Pakatan mesti bertoleransi dengan parti-parti yang betul anti-BN dan mahukan perubahan dalam politik tanah air.

Kali ini amat berbeza dan Pakatan akar sukar untuk berdepan dengan BN. Jangan merendahkan PRM dan parti-parti lain yang tiada dalam Pakatan ini parti nyamuk. Ada penyokong-penyokong setia untuk mereka semua di seluruh Malaysia.

Jangan kita minta PRM perlu pandang jauh dan parti dua sistem. Demi sistem dua parti, parti-parti dalam Pakatan perlu melepaskan kerusi mereka kepada PRM dan parti-parti lain.

PRM tidak menentang sistem dua parti. Yang wujudkan keadaan ini adalah Pakatan, kerana nak sapu semua kerusi.

Temenggong: Vote splitting has begun and Pakatan is unable to manage various opposition groups. They have positioned themselves as the only opposition group without giving space for others. One major lesson for Pakatan - compromise or be isolated.

Faz: Wisdom has to play its part to diffuse rising situations like this. If negotiation does not achieve the desired result of one-to-one fight, then among the anti-BN oppositionists, there must be an attitude of 'agree to disagree'.

Let the multi-cornered fights be a reality and, judging from the past few elections, mosquito parties will lose their deposits, especially in Peninsular Malaysia.

It's a pity if the situation does come to that, since the focus is to build a two-party system. If some political parties are headstrong, so be it.

Jimmy Ng: I hope the PRM leadership will keep an open mind and put all selfish interests aside for the sake of a better future for the nation.

The ultimate goal is to kick the BN out of government for after 50-plus years of tyranny, deceit and corruption, it is time for a change ... for the better.

Kgen: If those mosquito parties want to join Pakatan to fight against BN, they are welcome, provided they are multiracial parties.

The problem with these mosquito parties is that they expect Pakatan to make way for them in one-to-one fights with BN which instantly elevate their chance of winning.

They should exercise their right and go ahead and contest. At best, they will just get a few hundred votes and lose their deposit. Pakatan has nothing to worry.

I have the same advice to HRP (Human Rights Party) - don't threaten Pakatan with three-cornered fights.

Mohd: Why is it hard for PRM to be part of the bigger and stronger opposition alliance? Doesn't it make more sense to unite against a much bigger foe - BN - rather than standing all alone and losing even before the whistle blows?

Is self-interest and trying to make a point more important that making a positive impact?

 

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